Meat-cutting machine



April 15 1924.

E. w. KNOWLTON mgm curun MACHINE 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11

April 15 1924.

E. W. KNOWLTON MEATV CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1923 3- sheets-sneed Patented Apr. l5, 1924i.

I E it..

l"rare ear EUGENE W. KNOWLTON, OF BUFFALO, NEW' YORK, SSIGNOR TO JOHN E. SMITl-IS SONS COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEWT YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEAT-our'rine MACHINE.

Application filed December 11, 1923.

To all when?, t may con-nem.'

Be it known that I, EUGENE WV. Known- 'roN. a citizen of the United States. residing at Buffalo, .in the county of ErieandState of New Yorin have invented new and useful.

Improvements in Meat-Ci1ittiiigMachines, of

which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to a meat cutting machine of the type employed by packers for cutting sausage meat. y

lts chief object is to provide a sanitary machine of this character in which the meat bowl can be tilted or elevated for the purpose of dumping its contents without liandling the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide the machine with power-driven means for effecting the raising and lowering of the meat bowl without interfering with the usual drive mechanism of the machine.

A further object is the provision of elficient and reliable means for automatically arresting the meat bowl when it reaches its tilted or dumping position and' its normal operative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ya simple, strong and durable machine of this character which is not liable to get out of order, and whose parts are 'easily accesible for lubricating or adjusting purposes. y c

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a meat cutting machine embodying the invention. Figure 2 `is a front view thereof. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same. Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on line ,l1-4L, Fig. 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line 5 5, Fig. 2. Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the bowl-tilting and control mechanism. Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on, line 7*-7, Fig. 1. Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on line 8-8, Fig. 7.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization, this improved machine comprises a supporting frame upon which its working parts are mounted, a circular support or bed-ring hingedly mounted on said frame, a rotary bowl arranged within the bed-ring and containing rotary cutters, power-actuated means for tilting said Serial No. 679,885.

bed-ring. and means for automatically arresting the 1latter when'it reaches the end of its predetermined travel in either direction.

The supporting frame preferably comprises a pair of upright standards 10 `ioined at their front ends by a transverse tie-plate 11. Journaled in bearings 12 formed in the upper front ends of these standards is a horizontal driving shaft 13 driven by an electric motor or other source of power (not shown).

The numeral 14 indicates the circular sup port or bed-ring which is tiltable in a vertical plane and for this purpose is provided near its periphery7 and at the opposite sides of its front end with depending hingebrackets or fulcrum collars 15 freely mounted on the shaft 13 to rock relatively thereto. The bowl 16, which is of the usual concave- -conveX form, is rotatably arranged within the bed-ring, and the customary rotary cut4 ter 17 is mounted on a transverse shaft 18 journaled in bearings 19 carried by a coverplate 20 arranged over the rear portion of said bowl and supported by suitable brackets 21 secured to the bed-ring. As shown in the drawings, the cut-ter shaft may be driven from the driving shaft 13 by a sprocketchain 22 passing around sprockets 23, 2li. mounted on the respective shafts. A hood 25 may be provided for enclosing the cutter, if desired.

Any suitable means may be employed for rotating the 1cowl 16, thatl shown in the drawings being preferable7 and consisting of a worm-wheel 26 mounted on a vertical shaft 27 depending from said bowl and attached to the underside thereof by bolts or other fastenings, the same meshing with a worm 28 mounted onl the driving shaftll of the machine. The lower end of the worm-wheel shaft isy journaled in a skeletonlike frame or spider 29 secured to the underside of the bed-ring 14E, and having upper and lower bearings 30, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

The power-actuated means for raising and lowering the bed-ring and its bowl from the position shown by full .lines in Fig. l tothe dotted line position shown in the same figure, and vice versa7 is preferably constructed as follows:

Depending from the bed-ring and locatedV on opposite sides thereof are verticallydisposed gearsegments 31 which constantly mesh w-itlr corresponding worms 32 secured to the upper ends ot upright shafts 33 journaled in step hearings 34 termed in a transverse hase plate 35 fastened at its opposite ends to the standards 10 of the machineframe. At their lower ends said worin shafts 33are provided with bevel gears 36 which mesh constantly with similar gears 37 fixed on the ends of Aa horizontal sha-tt 38 journaled in suitable hearings 39 on the hase plate 35.' Said shaft 38is adapted to he driven in either directionto ellect the raising or lowering of the 'howl 16 and for this purpose has fixed thereon, intermediate its ends, opposing bevel gears 40, 41 which mesh with t-he opposite sides otV a hevel gear 42 fixed on one end ot a horizontal shaftV 43 arranged lengthwise of the machine. At its other end, this shaft has yfixed thereon a bevel .gear 44 which engages a similar gear 45 mounted on the lower end of an upright shaft 46 journaled in hearings 4'? formed on the transverse plate 11 of the machine- 'rame. rlhe upright shaft 46 is driven from the main driving shaft 13 through the medium ot bevel gears 48, 49 or similar gearing, such for example, as a worin `and a worm Wheel.

ahle lengthwise of the shaft and interposed' between the opposing gears 40, 41 to assume a neutral position or one engaged with either Y ot said gears. Y For this purpose, the clutch collar is provided at its ends with teeth 51 and the opposing faces orn the companion gears have corresponding radial notches 52. A tor-k co-operates with the clutch collar and is connected to the inner end ot a horizontal sl'iitting har or memher 54 suitahl)r guided on the hase plate At its outer end this shitting bar is pivoted to one arm ot a hell-crankV lever 55 tulcrumed at 56 Ato said hase Yplate or other adjacent part, the other arm of the hell-c 1anl: projecting outwardlv through an opening 57 in the adjacent trame-standard 10 and connected to a vertically-swinging foot lever 5.8 ulcrumed at 59 to the rear end of such standard.

Upon depressing or raising the foot lever the clutch-control parts in a set position, a snita'hle locking mechanism is employed. its shown in Figs. T and 3, this mechanism consists ot a spring-pressed locking catch or plunger' G0 moimted in a suitable bracket 61 projecting upwardly troni the 1oase plate 35 and adapted to interlock with one or another oit three recesses or depressions V52 formed `in the opposing side ot the' shitting hars 54. Vlhns, when the toot lever 58 is raised or lowered out et its neutral position to eiilect the verticalljv-swinging movement oi: the howl in one di ction or the other, the sh' ing har is licher se moved in a corre sponding direction and the spring catch is allowed to interlock withV either one ot the end recesses ot said har to reliahlj.' hold the same in position during the movement ot the bowl.

'lo automatically stop the raising or lowering movement ot the howl when it reaches its highest or lowest position, a suhstantialhY vertical tappet arm 33 is provided which is preferably carried hv the toot lever and which has a contact finger (34 arranged in the path ot trip lugs or projecting cams 65. 66 formed on the adjacent gear segment 31. said contact As shown in F1os. 1 and f linger projects through an opening 67 in the adjacent standard 1.0. llpon either one ot the trip lugs striking this tappetarm, the latter is accordinglyv forced up or down, moving the toot lever with it to its neutral position and simultaneoushfv forcing the shitting har 54 in the proper direction to disengage the clutch, `thereby7 instantly stopping the howl in either the tell line or dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Figs. 2 and'4. the howl-Y driving worm 28 is preferably loosely mounted on the driving shatt 13 to slide lengthwise thereof, the same being adapted tor engagement'with a clutch-collar 67 lined-Y on said shaft. lllhen it is desi-red to rotate the howl, thel same is turned in a. clockwise direction, as indicated h v the arrow 68, sntlieiently to move the worm into engagement with its clutch-collar. the worm wheel 26 thereafter holding said worm in its operativeV position, i

By this construction and arrangement Vof the driving and control mechanism, the howl 1G can he rotated in hoth its tilted and lowered positions or it can .he thrown ont of gear when desired for cleaning or adjusting purposes.

The operation-ot this machine is as follows:

Assume the parts to he in their neutral or inoperative positions and the driving shaft 13 to he in. motion, the rotation of the bowl 16 having been stopped tor the purpose of discharging its contents. The hedring 14 together with itshowl is .now tilted to the dotted line position shown in Fig. l,

which movement ellected by depressing the foot lever :litt to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig'. 6. This movement of the foot lever forces the shifting' bar 5i outwardly to bring the clutch 50 into engagement with its companion gear 40, thereby transmittine' motion to the gear segni-ents 3l to elevate trie meat bowl. Simultaneously with this sl'iiftingg of the clutch to its engaged position, the tappet arm 63 is lowered :from its full lino position to the chatted line position shown in Fig. 6., lVhen the bowl reaches its tilted position, the triphip` (37; strikes the lower edge of the linger lilof the tappet and raises the latter to its normal neutral position, which movement causes the foot lever to return to its initial position and the clutch to be disenefaged, thereby arresting; the further movement of the bowl and permittingits contents to be emptied. The lowering of the bowl is ef fected by raising the foot lever to the dotted line position shown in Fig. l, which movement shiits the clutch collar 50 into engagement with its companion gear il and moves the tappet upwardly, as shown by dotted lines in the same figure. lllhen the bowl reaches its substantially horizontal or lowered position, the trip lug 6 strikes the bottom edge of the tappet arm, forcing the saine downwardly 'to return the foot lever to its initial position and simultaneously releasing` the clutch, thereby stopping the bowl.

This impro-ved sanitary meat-cutting machine is easy to operate and very efficient in operation; it affords a material saving in time in emptying the bowl of its contents without handlingr the same.: and its parts are so organized and arranged that they are accessible for adjustment and other purposes.

l. claim as my invention:

l. ln a meat-cuttingmachine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, and a support for said bowl hinged to said frame.

2. In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically-swinging support for said bowl hinged to said frame, and means for tilting said bowl-support.

In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a circular support for said bowl hinged near its periphery to said frame, and means for rotating' said bowl and actuating said bowl-support either simultaneously or independently of each other.

l. In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter. a support for said bowl hinged to said frame. means for rotating' said bowl, and means driven by said bowl-rotating means for raising and lowering the bowl support.

5. In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, driving' shaft geared to said bowl, a support for the bowl hing-ed at one side to said driving,` shaft` and means operatively connected to said driving shaft for raising and lowering` said bowl-support ,about the axis of said driving` shaft.

6. In a meatcutting machine, the combination of frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a driving shaft ournaled in said frame and geared to saidbowl, a support for the bowl hinged to said iflriving shaft, means driven from said shaft for raising` and lowering` said bowl-supper and ineans'for controlling said bowl-support driving means.

i. `in a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a driving shaft journaled in said frame and `neared to said bowl, a support for the bowl hinged to said driving shaft, and gearing` connecting the driving shaft with said bowl-support for raising and lowering the latter about the axis of said shaft.

8. ln a meat/cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including` a cutter, a driving shaft journaled in said frame and geared to said bowl, a support for the bowl hinged to said driving, shaft, gearsegments carried by said bowl-support, gearing interposed between said gear-segments and said driving shaft, and means for controlling the movement of said bowl support.

9. In a'ineat-cutting` machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically-swingingsupport for said bowl hinged to said frame, means for raising and lowering said bowl-support, and means for automatically arresting the bowlsupport when it reaches a predetermined position when traveling in either direction.

l0. ln a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically swinging support for said bowl hinged to said frame, powerdriven means including a clutch for raising and lowering said bowl-support, and means controlled by the latter for releasing said clutch when the bowl-support reaches its highest or lowest position.

1l. In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertical-swinging,- support for said bowl hinged to said frame, powerdriven means including a clutch for raising and lowering said bowl-support, means for actuating said clutch including an operating lever and a tappet arm connected therewith, and means carried by said bowl-support and arranged to engage said tappet arm when the bowl-support reaches a predetermined point of its movement in either direction.

l2. In a meat-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically-swinging support for said bowl hinged to said frame, power-driven n clutch tor raising,- and lowering` said bowl-support, means for actuating said clutch, means for retaining said clutch-actuating means in different positions, and means controlled by said bowl-support for automatically releasing said clutch when the bowl-support reaches its highest or lowest position.

13. ln a meat-cutting machine, the combination ot a iframe, a rotary bowl including a cutter, al vertically-swinging support for said bowl hinged to said trame, powerdriren means including` a clutch for raising' and lowering said bowl-support, an operating lever for said clutch, means for retaining said lever in diiierent positions, a tappet carried by said lever, andtrip devices carried b v said bowl-support and arranged to enage said tappet arm when the bowl-support reaches its highest or lowest position.

le. ln a meat-cutting machine, the combination olf' a frame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically-swinging support for said bowl hinged to said iframe, powerdriven means including a clutch for raising and lowering' said bowl-support, and means for actuatingsaid clutch including an operating lever, a shittable member connected at means includinn` a one end to said clutch, a bell crank having one ot its arms connected to the other end' ot said shiftable member, the other arm of the bell crank being connected to `said operating` lever, a tappet arm carried by the latter, and trip devices carried by said bowl-support and arranged to engage said tappet arm .when the bowl-support reaches its highest or lowest position.

l5. ln a meat-cutting` machine, the combination oi a trame, a rotary bowl including a cutter, a vertically-swinging support for said bowl hinged to said frame, powerdriven meansy includinga clutch for raising and lowering; said bowl-support, and means for actuating' said'clutch including an operating lever, shittable member connected at one end to said clutch, means for retaining said shitable member in different positions, a bell cranlr having one of its arms connected to the other end of the shiftable member, the other arm of the bell crank being connected to said operating` lever, a tappet arm carried b v the latter, and trip devices carried by said bowl-support and arranged to engage said tappet arm when the bowl-support reaches its highest-or lowest postion.

EUGENE W. KNOWLTON. v 

